The Journey
by Xizuma
Summary: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are at each others throats yet again, more so because of the Lightning Thief lurking about. But the Prophecy has changed, and a new player has appeared, an unlikely demigod set to raise the stakes higher than before. One Prophecy. Two Pantheons. Who will rise on top? One-shot that could be more.
1. Chapter 1

**A one-shot that could potentially be something more than that. If people like it, that is.**

 **This story is a challenge by a friend of mine.**

 **I'll go on and say it now; there will be elements of the new God Of War game, it could be big or small, and could be a bit spoilery, depends on how much inspiration I took out of it really. So, be wary of that.**

 **The timeline of this chapter is a couple of months before the first book of the PJO series, in case anyone's wondering.**

 **Questions for the story can either be asked by review or messaging, and I'll try to reply shortly.**

 **Anyways, let's get this show on the road.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or PJO. Each series belong to their Masashi Kishimoto, and Rick Roridan respectively.**

 **Enjoy, chapter 1 of,**

 **THE JOURNEY**

* * *

To say that Sam Greenwood was having a bad day was an understatement.

It was his second time being sent out of camp, like all Satyrs his duty was to find and escort demigods back to the safety of the sanctuary that was run by Mister D. But everyone knew that Chiron was really the one managing it.

His first time recovering a demigod went along smoothly as it could, sure they encountered a few monsters here and there, but they had managed to avoid it, and were back in camp in no time.

However, it seemed that the Fates, with how cruel they were, decided that his second venture into the outside world would not go as well as he hoped it would be, not at all.

Which was why he was currently into one of the most troublesome situations any Satyr not in his place are glad to be.

"Why do they keep on following us!?" A boy, no older than ten asked Sam. The Satyr looked down to meet a pair of blue eyes filled with fear and terror that matched his own. True to the little boy's word, the moment they had managed to get out of the city, Sam had ditched his disguise which were just plain shoes that an average Joe could wear, and led his escort straight to the woods so they could make it to camp in no time.

Unfortunately for them, hellhounds, numerous in numbers took notice of the kid's scent and decided that they were their dinner for tonight, before chasing them into the woods, feasting after their would-be prey. To add more complications, a cyclops had also gained notice of the chase and joined in, gleefully muttering about demigod and goat food that made Sam sick to his stomach.

Just thinking about him made him-

"Urk!" The Satyr gagged as he ran with the small demigod, clutching his stomach while he clamped his mouth in an attempt to stop the sounds from coming out. Thankfully his companion hadn't noticed, or rather; opted to ignore it, focusing on not tripping on any well-placed branch or twig since the darkness that would accompany the canopy of trees during the night didn't help them in a long run.

"I'm scared, Sam!" His friend-Henry-a little demigod cried out in fear while they ran, his voice whimpering and cracking as the sounds of howls coming from the beasts behind them got closer and louder.

"J-Just stay calm! We can get through this!" The Satyr assured him hastily. An ironic statement since Sam, himself, was also panicking at the current predicament they are experiencing right now. In his defense, it was really hard to rationalize when murderous dogs and a giant lug of skin and meat was chasing after you.

Acting quickly, Sam grabbed Henry's hand and scrambled towards the side when they almost came in contact with a tree that was sat in the middle. He crouched down, his palms sweaty, as he clamped a hand over a startled Henry's mouth in an effort to silence him. He slowly composed himself, trying to think of a way out of the situation while he had the time to do so.

Both slumped down toward the base of the tee to help hide themselves from the danger, but it could only do so much.

They couldn't fight back, since Sam didn't know how to really fight due to his lanky nature, and Henry was too young to even throw a good punch that would most likely damage him than the monsters that was hunting them down.

His second option was to hide, which, by how the hellhounds were acting, was working. But he knew that it would only be a matter of time before they would eventually find out that where they we're hiding from.

And finally, his last act of desperation was running away with Henry, since both knew that they couldn't match the creatures with their fists and both didn't want to end up in either menu of hellhoud or cyclops; the Satyr considered running away the most valuable action as of now.

Sam took a chance, then glanced from his spot behind the tree slowly. A muffled bleat escaped his lips when he saw a hellhound close to them, its beady eyes stuck to the ground, as did its lips while it sniffed the air around it, before growling and wondering away from their area.

The Satyr eased up a little, only to stiffen and go rigid when another growl, different from the last hit his ears. He grabbed a hold of the demigod with him, making sure the boy didn't make a sound, as the creature of the Underworld stalked to their tree.

The creature growled as it approached. The sound of its paws as they struck the ground were like booms of thunder from an angry Zeus, something that absolutely terrified Sam ever since he was a young goat.

Sam held Henry tight, who also had the look of absolute terror, and his eyes screwed shut and he held his breath. Praying to the Gods to give them a chance of survival.

Then, something happened.

A roar of anger, one with pain and ferocity, was heard though out the entire area, and the Satyr and demigod felt the cyclops that followed them step back with a shout.

Sam peeked from his and Henry's hiding spot to see what had occurred to make such a dangerous monster give out an agonized roar. His eyes considerably widened when he caught glimpse of a wooden battle axe lodged into the arm of the hulking cyclops.

It also seemed to catch the hellhound's attention and it snapped its snout back and looked behind it in confusion as it growled.

The axe impaled on the cyclops' arm started to glow, before it flew back into the direction it was thrown, disappearing into the woods.

The cyclops growled as it nursed its injured arm that had a nasty gash on the forearm, its lone eye showing anger at getting hit by something unexpected as a flying axe.

The hellhound near them shrugged off whatever happened before resuming its tracking of its dinner, which was right next to it. It growled menacingly, as Sam and Henry backed up to the edge while the creature started to approach nearer and nearer.

Only for the same axe to impale it on the head, pinning it on the tree with a 'thunk'.

The two gave off startled, but muffled yelps when they saw this, watching in disbelief as the hellhound started to crumble to dust in a matter of seconds, before it became to nothing, leaving a small pelt of fur as a reward, while the axe remained impaled on the bark of the tree.

Sam's ear twitched.

"… Did you hear something?" He asked.

Henry looked at the Satyr weirdly before shaking his head.

The goat-boy looked up and around in confusion, his eyes scanning the trees. "I could have sworn-"

"… Out. Of. My. FOREST!"

And a blur came crashing down on the cyclops.

A big 'thud' sounded off as the creature impacted the ground. Sam cautiously peeked from the tree once more, to see whatever had managed to actually knock down a cyclops to the ground without so much effort.

Surprise was the first thing he felt.

On top of the cyclops, was a young boy; that, if Sam were to guess, about in his pre-teen years judging by the face. His hair was wild and untamed, yet it also held a vibrant yellow color that was a contrast to the brown, green, and black that the Satyr was surrounded with. Three sets of marks were on each of his cheek, giving the boy a fox-like appearance to anyone that would look at him.

The young boy's attire consisted of an orange shirt that had seen better days. Scratches, dirt, and tears were seen along the edges of the fabric that looked like it could barely hold together at some areas. While the boy's pants were simple shorts that covered up to his knees, his feet protected by a pair of boots that looked to be in the same state as his shirt.

A thick leather pauldron was strapped to the boy's left shoulder, which covered a quarter of his back and held in place by a thick belt strap, all of which seemed to look like they were crafted by hand and made by the kid himself, if by the messy handicraft was to go by.

Seriously, how long was this kid in the woods?

Sam was snapped out of his daze when he saw the whiskered youth go ham on the cyclops' chest, constantly pounding it with his fists which looked like it was doing a bit of damage to the giant.

Howls and growls were cried by the hellhounds who were all snarling at the young newcomer, their positions backed and looked ready to attack at any moment's notice.

One eventually did, snapping at an instant and charging at the whiskered boy with its maw open to bite the boy.

Sam was about to yell to the whiskered kid as to warn him. But as soon as he opened his mouth, the axe on the tree glowed once more, and flew into the young blonde's outstretched just fast enough for him to swing the battle axe underhand, sending the hellhound flying back into the bushes.

The other hellhounds reacted to their brethren's attack and ran to the boy with growls. The blonde retaliated, and kicked one that charged forward, and evaded another one that attacked from the side. His axe glowed, and he hurled it at the same hellhound that attacked him on the front.

The Satyr watched in awe and slight fear as the battle axe impaled the creature of the Underworld right in the snout, before it started to freeze, ice covering its fur and body as it stood still.

The young blonde delivered a powerful elbow to a hellhound that tried to tackle him from behind, sending it down to the ground in a matter of seconds. He held out his hand, and the axe glowed before flying back from its last victim, which by now, had disintegrated into dust.

He jumped down from the stunned cyclops and beheaded the downed creature below him, before he threw the axe again to an awaiting hellhound with its mouth open, splitting its snout and skull as it joined its brothers back in the Underworld, the axe embedded into the ground after that.

The youth looked around for a second, only to give a startled cry when a hellhound tackled him from the bushes.

The creature pinned him to the ground, trapping him beneath it, while it towered over the boy due to its large size. He edged his face away from the snapping jaws of the predator, as the hellhound barked and snarled at him. Quickly grabbing hold of the two parts of its mouth, with a roar, the whiskered blonde tore its mouth wide open with his bare hands, panting as the hellhound crumbled into dust.

The boy stood up shortly after, his chest heaving ever so slightly as he watched the creature be replaced with a pelt of fur.

Just as he was about to walk away, a loud roar from behind alerted him.

"You pay for that!" The cyclops from before roared with an angry visage on its face, standing up to its full height, which massively towered over the youth.

The boy glared back with as much ferocity and called upon his axe once more.

Then they charged at each other.

The blonde rolled out of the way when the goliath reared its fist back and brought it down on the ground, creating a dent on the dirt as it swung it from left to right in an attempt to hit its prey. The blonde didn't allow that, and ran towards the back, and swung his axe at its calf. The cyclops responding with a pained roar.

It turned around and swiped at the blonde with its hand. The boy jumped at the attack, before adding extra force as he swung his axe, striking it at the joints between the hand, and the creature's forearm.

"Bad meat! That hurt!"

The cyclops brought its other fist over its head and brought it down. The youth took the advantage and quickly ran up its arm and jumped, jutting out his knee and hitting the giant in the nose. It roared, and took a step back while holding its broken nose.

Wasting no time, the whiskered youth immediately rushed and hacked at its ankle. He jumped back and rolled out of the way when its hand came to him. He sailed back a few feet, before landing with a groan of pain. He hefted his axe, and threw it at the cyclops' face. The weapon spun, and landed on the goliath's exposed neck.

It gave another howl of agony, and snapped forward when the axe was forcefully removed from its neck via the blonde summoning it back into his hand.

The blonde charged at it and struck the cyclops, alternating between blocks and attacks, continuously hacking and slashing at every opening the pre-teen could find on its massive body. The cyclops retaliated, and smacked the boy away, watching as he flew back into the bushes.

Sam dreaded the worse, while he made sure he and Henry were out of sight of the cyclops.

A few moments after, the axe went flying again.

Before embedding itself on the cyclops' lone eye.

It gave out a shriek of pain, and its hands clamored up to its face to dislodge the fearsome weapon from its damaged eye. Only for the creature's head to snap forward when the axe glowed and flew back into the boy's hand.

With a roar of his own, the young teen charged at the stunned cyclops, crossing the distance quickly and climbing up on the massive body. He slammed a harsh boot on its injured eye, then delivered a hardened punch, switching from punch to kick as the cyclops' bleeding eye started to cave in to its head.

With another vengeful roar, the youth gripped his axe tightly, and delivered a swing towards the giant's eye. The force of the swing was so hard that the creature fell down to the ground as the boy quickly removed his weapon.

He stood up a few moments later, victorious, and panting, the adrenaline in his body leaving him soon after.

Sam stood up, grabbing Henry, and the Satyr made themselves known.

"Hey there!" The goat-boy greeted nervously.

It seemed that the blonde's adrenaline didn't entirely leave yet, as his head snapped towards the Satyr's direction, and he held his battle axe with preparedness, ready to fight if need to be.

Now that he could see the weapon more clearly, the Satyr took note of how axe had few runes etched into the blades of the battle axe, along with the decorated pommel on its end.

Yup. Definitely a demigod.

' _Okay, maybe that wasn't the best greeting I could think of…'_

Sam raised his hands up as a sign of surrender, motioning Henry to do the same while he tried to communicate with the blonde.

"I don't mean any trouble!" He blurted out. "I just wanted to say thank you for saving us."

A scoff was heard.

"…Wasn't saving you." The boy mumbled as he set his axe on his back, hooking it to a small piece of metal attached to his pauldron. He turned around and started walking the other way.

Sam swallowed, before he decided to follow the kid, Henry in tow.

"Why are you following me?" The blonde asked bluntly, his head turning back to face them.

The Satyr noticed that the whiskered pre-teen's voice sounded monotonous, and a bit deep. "I… uh… can't help but notice your weapon over there!" Sam said, his tone laced with nervousness. "I can't help but wonder… are you a demigod?"

The whiskered pre-teen stared at him with blank eyes.

"… No."

With that, he turned around and resumed walking.

The Satyr sputtered. "T-That can't be true!" He cried in disbelief. "Only a demigod could do those sorts of things, and you managed to see and defeat those hellhounds and that cyclops! You can't possibly be a mortal!"

He heard the boy growl, before turning around once more with a glare set on his whiskered face.

"Look Mister, I don't know what a demi-whatsitnow or whatever you call that, I just want to be left alone, got it? Now shoo!"

"If you just listen to me-!"

"No!"

"Please hear me out on this-!"

"I said, go away-!"

Sam gulped and breathed deeply, summoning any courage he had left. "I'm sorry, but due to my duties as a Satyr, I can't leave a demigod without bringing them to camp!" He declared.

The pre-teen looked at him as if he were insane.

"A what?"

The Satyr faltered.

"Y-You know, the greek creatures, the ones with goat legs?" He mentioned and pointed at his furry hind legs. "Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, the greek pantheon? Any of this ringing a bell?!"

The boy stared at him, and once more said-

"No."

Sam gapped in disbelief and shock.

"Y-You mean to tell me, that you haven't heard about any of what I'm talking about? About the greek gods and goddess, the mythologies, the stories?!"

"Do you have a hearing problem? I said no!"

Sam's shocked expression turned to horror. "Please tell me you're joking?"

The whiskered kid huffed. "What's there to joke about?"

"Di Immortales you're not joking!" Sam cried out, his hand dragging his face with an exasperated expression. "How old are you?!" He asked the axe using blonde.

"I'm thirteen!"

The goat-boy sighed, "You really need to get to camp, ASAP." He stated.

"I told you! I don't want to go to your stupid camp!"

"We have food there!" Sam reasoned.

"I can hunt my food!"

"Uh… well, how about cabins! We have comfortable cabins that you could sleep in!"

"I have my own!"

The Satyr groaned. "You are one tough kid to crack!" He said, before he sighed. "Look, if you come to camp with us, there's also kids like you, well, maybe not as violent or aggressive, we can help you find your parents, so to speak."

At the mention of family, the pre-teen looked up with interest. "My… parents?" He repeated silently to himself.

He shook his head from his little dream. "What if you're lying?"

"I'm not!" Sam denied. "Honest! I swear on the River Styx!"

Thunder boomed after he said that, and the blonde looked up to the sky.

"Fine. You have my attention." The boy said, before he crossed his arms, and looked at the Satyr directly.

"Sweet." Sam cheered, before he approached the blonde and held his hand out with a smile. "Sam Greenwood." He said, while his other hand jerked to the small child next to him. "This is Henry, a fellow demigod." The kid gave a small wave.

The pre-teen stared at the hand with a blank look on his face.

"Uh... you're supposed to shake it? Aren't you gonna introduce yourself?"

"… Naruto." The now named Naruto said, his hands staying at the sides of his body, no attempt to shake the outstretched appendage.

"Okay…" Sam trailed off, taking his hand back with an awkward look on his face. "No last name?"

"It doesn't matter."

The goat-boy sighed at his new escort's demeanor. "You do you then, I guess." He said. "So, ready to do some to hit the road?"

Henry nodded eagerly.

Naruto just grunted.

"Well, at least one of you is excited." Sam sighed before clapping his hands, his cheerful demeanor back on his face. "I promise you, that after this, the walk to Camp Halfblood will be easy as pie!"

* * *

Sam was right, the walk all the way to the supposed Camp Halfblood was smooth, they hadn't encountered any monster as of their trek, and he had told them that they were not that far, so they maybe there by a few minutes or an hour ahead.

But, as relaxing as it was, it was incredibly boring.

"Hey Naruto, do you think that there'll be other kids at camp that fight like you?" Henry asked as he walked next to the stoic blonde, his excited attitude being a stark contrast at the whiskered boy's quiet nature.

"I do not know." The pre-teen replied.

"Do you think there'll be, like, dragons in camp?! And we get to ride them?!"

"I do not know."

"Ooh! Is there gonna be like a chariot race or something? Kind of like the old times, right?!"

Naruto's eye twitched

"I do not know."

Their back-and-forth exchange extended for a long period of time as they walked, Sam was quiet, leading them to the right direction, whilst also supplying Naruto some information of the camp for him to brush up on.

They had been walking for the past hours or so, rarely taking breaks as to reach the camp in due time. Which made the trip quite exhausting, seeing that they had gone a whole day without sleep.

The sun was setting as the three walked through a small forest in an island called Long Island, by Sam, who told them where the camp was situated in. Sam explained why he looked so different, because he was a Satyr, a nature spirit that aged twice as slowly, and also the stories of greek heroes and gods for Naruto.

As they delved deeper into the forests, the moon had already illuminated the night sky, along with the millions of stars that dotted the black canvas above them.

As Sam carried a sleeping Henry on his back, he glanced at the usual quiet blonde with him, who was looking around his surrounding more often than he would.

"Is something wrong?" The Satyr asked.

"No." Naruto shook his head. "I just felt something… off about this forest." He said uneasily, his head swiveling from side to side.

"I'm sure it's just the chill in the air." Sam assured him as he adjusted the sleeping demigod on his back. "Maybe the exhaustion's getting to you, don't worry, we're near camp we just have a few steps-"

A roar echoed in the forest.

"… What was that?"

Loud thumps were felt by both the demigod, and the Satyr, causing alarm to be written all over their faces. Sam held Henry tightly as he looked around in fear and horror, whereas Naruto's hand edged towards his axe.

It was too late.

Just as they turned their heads, Naruto was sent flying towards the other direction as a massive monster burst out from the dark forests.

It was big, not as overly big as a cyclops, but big enough to tower over him. It was primarily blue with a hint of grey, its back was hunched, showing rows upon rows of sharp spikes that jutted out of its back. Its face was contorted into an angry snarl that looked like it would break anything that stood in its way.

Sam stared at it in fear as the creature roared.

Then, it brought its massive hands above its head.

Only for a flying axe to interrupt it, stunning it momentarily as Naruto jumped out of the bushes, twigs and leaves surrounding him while he summoned his axe back.

It roared and swiped at the two of them, who managed to jump just in time.

"What is that thing?!" The blonde yelled at the Satyr.

"I-It's an Ogre! But it's not possible to spawn here! It mainly live in the caves of Canada!" Sam informed him as he tried to move away from the hideous beast.

Naruto growled, and gripped his axe. "Well, Hades deemed it our lucky day then!"

With that, he charged.

The whiskered teen lunged at it with controlled swings and blows towards the shoulders and chest area. Precisely moving out of the way whenever the monster deemed it ready to attack.

It swiped at the boy, but he dodged, before hurling his axe towards the creature, watching as it cleaved into its shoulder, freezing some parts of it as the weapon impaled it.

With no time to waste, Naruto ran and quickly delivered a right jab towards the Ogre's face, and then a strong kick to the shins, momentarily making it collapse. When it did, Naruto grabbed it by the neck, only for the Ogre to suddenly roar and harshly caught the blonde in a tight grip, squeezing the boy as it did.

Naruto held his hand out, and the battle axe went to his outstretched limb. Bringing it over his head, the blonde brought it down with some force that he could muster.

The beast roared and dropped the blonde. He threw his axe once more, but the creature expected this, and batted the weapon away with its forearm and charging at the blonde.

As it swiped its hand to him, Naruto rolled to the left and delivered a harsh kick to the ankle, dropping the Ogre in the process. He summoned his axe and gripped it, before swinging it and nearly cutting the entire leg portion off of its body.

The monster screamed in agony and pain, backing away as Naruto ran up to it before climbing it. He kicked it once more in the face, then swung his axe towards its mouth.

The axe came in contact, and nearly split the Ogre's jaw.

Naruto grunted, and heaved as he jumped off the beast, the axe still embedded into the creature's mouth, bringing the dying Ogre down to the dirt. With a final roar, Naruto dislodged the axe, and gave one more swing.

The beast died shrieking in agony.

The blonde panted and he breathed heavier than last time. Sam came rushing to him, Henry, who had woken up also looking at the pre-teen with concern.

"Are you alright?!" The Satyr asked worriedly, gently making the youth lean on him for support as he draped an arm around his body, rushing towards a field that held the sign: 'DELPHI STRAWBERRY FIELDS'.

"I'm fine." Naruto shrugged off their concerns, even as his vision began to fade. "Just… a little…" His eyes began to droop, and he couldn't understand the Satyr anymore.

The last thing he saw was two white columns.

* * *

 **Yeah, this is a one-shot that could be more if people like. So if you do, then write a review or comment, you could suggest and speculate.**

 **As I said above, questions about the story can be written in the review section or you could message me.**

 **See ya.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or PJO. Each respective franchise belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Rick Roridan. In short, I own NOTHING.**

 **Enjoy, chapter 2 of,**

 **THE JOURNEY**

* * *

He didn't know where he was.

Was he dreaming? Probably.

Naruto looked around him in wonder, it was hazy, and everything was swirling all over the place, it honestly made him a bit nauseous.

Definitely dreaming.

Then suddenly, everything flashed, causing the young boy to reel back and shut his eyes in instinct.

Then he opened them.

The first thing he noticed was that he felt taller, _really tall_. He had massively increased in size and could probably tower over Sam if he wanted to.

The next thing he saw was fire. Everywhere, burning down a few buildings at his sides, smoke rising from the debris and entering his lungs. But, Naruto hardly felt any of it as it hit his body.

Was this dream trying to tell him something?

He didn't really dream back when he lived in the forest. And whenever he did, he would mostly carry on with his tasks for survival, never minding whatever warning or sign his dreams would try to tell him, so this was a new experience entirely.

Strangely, without his will, he looked down and observed himself.

His skin was tan. Almost like his own tan shade, as his form in his dream looked muscular. While a dark red mark swirled in his right bicep, which connected to another red mark on his chest.

His hands were big and bulky, callouses present in each palm, and were those chains?!

Naruto tried to take a closer look, but his head somehow snapped forward when footsteps hit his ears.

An old woman, dark skinned, dressed in strange clothes that Naruto never saw in his life, held a stick and looked at him conceitedly, as if saying 'I told you so' to him.

She opened her mouth, yet Naruto couldn't understand what she was saying all together, to him, it felt like a jumbled set of syllables mashed in hopes of letting out a word. The cackles of fire and the screams from the burning people were far too distracting for him to listen to the woman.

What was happening?

Then, he collapsed, shouting in anger, fury. All felt by the blonde, but he himself was confused on why he felt it.

This was a really weird dream.

He tried to stand up, and to his surprise he did, as his skin started turn an ashen white while he stood, Naruto felt shock and horror enter his state, further worsening his mood.

And with that, he screamed.

* * *

"Gah?!" Naruto shot up straight from the bed he laid on, sweat dripping from his form. He looked over his body and proceeded to pat it in fervor, and noticed something strange.

"What happened?" He muttered silently. He looked down on his body, and was thankful that it was the same as it always was, but missing the leather armor he had fashioned from that boar a few weeks ago. The blonde turned his head, and saw an equally surprised girl at his side.

She seemed startled when she realized he was awake. She had been feeding him something that tasted like the meat he had savored a few nights ago, only it looked like some form of pudding.

The girl in particular was a curly blonde haired girl, holding the spoonful of whatever was inside the bowl she had fed him.

"How are you feeling?" The girl asked him, setting down the bowl on a nearby table which he noticed held his pauldron and other items he had taken with him when he went with Sam.

"I am fine." Naruto answered. His tone in his usual monotonous voice that he would use when he tried to 'socialize' as Sam would put it.

The boy tried to stand up, only to grunt and fall back on the bed, gasping slightly as a jolt of pain racked his body. The girl rushed to him and helped him lay down.

"It's okay, you're safe here." She told him gently.

Naruto didn't believe that one bit, but his eyelids were too heavy right now for him to argue with a girl, and he passed out once more.

He woke up again some time later, but the curly blonde was gone, replaced by some new guy that was dressed in shorts. He stood in the corner of the bedroom, keeping watch. His eyes looked over to him when he groaned. The eyes on his cheeks, forehead, and even the back of his hands monitoring him creepily.

Sleep was demanding once more, and Naruto laid his head down and closed his eyes.

Another dream occurred, this one more obscure than the last.

Everything was blurry. He felt the feeling of desperation, hopelessness, and rage. The blood and gore around him were mixing together, creating an inky trail of crimson red that surrounded him, coating his legs in the dark liquid as he looked up.

A man stared down at him. His hair and beard in literal _flames_ was sneering at him. His armor that he wore being just as more intimidating as he was. He towered over him, and Naruto felt his mouth open. But like the last dream, he didn't understand any of it, only a few words he could make out were scarce, to say the least.

"… _Destroy my enemies! And my life is yours!"_

The boy noticed that just now he was surrounded by thousands upon thousands of bodies, some were dressed in the same set of armor, holding spears and circular shields, while others were too brutally murdered, flayed, or decapitated too identify.

He strangely didn't felt sick to his stomach.

Then, he woke up again.

The blonde was glad his surroundings weren't weird as he expected it to be, after having to see what his dreams had offered him. Instead, it was the same room he had assumed where the 'camp' was stationed at. Looking outside the window, he gazed across a vast land of green hills at the distance. The breeze from outside creeped in from the slightly opened window, which gave Naruto a fresh breath of air.

His mouth felt dry, he really wanted something to drink. Fast.

He glanced around the room he occupied. On the next table that sat beside his items, was a tall drink. It had a golden shade for the liquid. With a straw and other decorative items Naruto didn't bother to see.

He grabbed it, careful not to spill any on the sheets or pillow. Then sat up a bit to properly gulp it down.

The taste was exquisite, something he really didn't have the pleasure of tasting in his life considering he lived in the woods up to now. So he savored it as much as he could, just like the food the girl had given him. But before he knew it, the boy had drained the last of it, Naruto sighed and set it back down on the table. He was starting to crave for more.

He grabbed the blanket, and proceeded to pull it off and panted his bare feet to the wooden ground. Naruto started to stretch his arms a bit, trying to get the feel of things after having a moderate amount of inactivity.

He rolled his shoulders, and an audible 'pop' was heard, making the boy wince a bit.

The whiskered youth looked down, noticing his torn orange shirt was now gone, replaced by a plain white. He lifted up the hem of his new shirt, and saw wrapped bandages on his stomach, specifically around the areas that the Cyclopes and Ogre had hit him, where bruises had appeared no doubt.

The tapping of wood caught Naruto's attention, and glanced to where the doorway was positioned, seeing the curly haired girl from before entering.

"Did you enjoy it?" She asked him.

"It was… sufficient." Naruto nodded, then approached the table that had his armor.

The girl watched as he walked over to the table holding his items. "Are you sure you want to wear that already?" She asked. "You just woke up, it looks a bit heavy." She observed. Looking at the boy's pauldron crucially, her grey eyes seemingly trying to etch and memorize every crevice and detail on the leather armor into her mind.

"I'm used to it." Naruto grunted, pulling and tying on the last strap of his pauldron. His hand grabbed the leather piece on his shoulder, adjusting it slightly so it could feel less uncomfortable.

After rolling his shoulders once more, the blonde noticed something missing.

"Where's my axe?" He asked.

"It's in the armory. Don't worry, Chiron made sure no one would touch it. The Hephaestus Cabin got really excited when they saw it. " The grey eyed girl answered. She briefly glanced at the outside of the doorway before she nodded to herself. She looked back at him, and made a notion with her hand.

"Speaking of which, Chiron wants to meet you, follow me."

* * *

The two made their way out of the infirmary, and outside of the building, into a porch, where Naruto realized that the porch itself wrapped around the whole house.

He walked silently, his shoulders squared up and his body tense, this was a whole new territory, and he needed to be guarded.

Though the boy had to admit that the scenery was beautiful. On the side of the house, he could see the valley going all the way up to the water, which seemed to glitter and glisten even in the distance. While the landscape that separated the valley and shore, held various buildings dotted around the land.

All of them were strange to the blonde, having never seen decorated columns and buildings that seemed to hold an ancient tradition with it, all looking brand new, with the white colors it had and the marble décor that sparkled in the sun's light, while still holding the sense of oldness it had to it.

A small lake occupied nearby a set of cabins. Where boats glided across the waters. While kids and teens alike, all wearing the same orange shirt, played a game of 'Volleyball', as Sam described it. There were also some who did archery on the far side of the land, while others rode on horses.

Yet somehow, Naruto felt as he had seen it all before. The building's designs and the traditions and practices the kids here had made his mind spin, as if it was familiar, yet at the same time new to him. He just couldn't explain why.

A voice rang in his head, old and stern, that seemed speak in a harsh tone, telling him to keep his guard up. It disappeared shortly after, as the girl led him down, at the edge of the porch, where to two men that sat across from each other at a table.

The man that faced the two blondes was short, yet hefty, noticing that his hair was so black that it almost looked purple. Wearing a tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with shorts and purple running shoes hidden by the table.

Despite his appearance, Naruto felt something powerful within the man, an aura that out-trumped every monster that he had faced in the past, which unnerved him greatly, but tried to stifle it down.

"That's Mr. D," The girl whispered at the boy's ear. "He's the camp director; be polite." She warned him.

The whiskered youth grunted in response.

The curly haired girl pointed at the man whose back was facing them. "And that's Chiron."

The first thing he noticed was that the man sat in a wheelchair. He wore a brown jacket, and had thinning brown hair.

He must have noticed that both of them were behind him, because he turned around and smiled at them. His scraggly beard and intense brown eyes giving him a kindly appearance.

"Ah, Annabeth." He called to the girl as if a grandfather would to their grandchild. His eyes turned towards the other blonde and also gave him a smile. "And I presume that you are Naruto?" He asked.

The pre-teen gave a nod of confirmation.

"Brat doesn't talk much?" 'Mr. D' lifted his head up, noticing the boy's quietness, then he snorted. "Good. Less headaches I have to deal with." The man said rudely.

"Mr. D!" Chiron admonished, before he turned his head back to the two blondes. "Ignoring him. It good to see you up and active." He said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

Chiron offered Naruto a seat, which was right next to Mr. D. The man looked at the silent blonde for a moment before he heaved a heavy sigh. "Oh. I suppose I must say it." He cleared his throat. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"I understand." Naruto responded. Before he blinked.

Was his voice that deep?

For a moment, he had thought that his vocal cords had gone on strike and proceeded to change how he sounded. Because, for a second there, he almost sounded like the guy in his dreams, only younger.

The two men and Annabeth seemed to notice it, looking at him oddly, but didn't comment further. Only looking at him in surprise, and moved on.

The wheelchair bound man seemed to look exasperated at the portly director's attitude, before he shook his head and looked at the blonde seated with them, and gestured towards the curly haired girl.

"This young lady helped nurse you back to health, Naruto." Chiron informed me, to which the whiskered boy gave a small nod of gratitude to the girl. "Annabeth, my dear. Why don't you go check on the bunks in Cabin Eleven? We'll be putting him there for now."

Annabeth nodded. "Sure Chiron." Her tone sounding excited as she looked at him.

Now that the blonde was back at his senses, he observed the girl. She was possibly his age, and was a few inches shorter, and looked less athletic looking compared to him, considering he had lived in the woods and had to hunt on his own, he generally had grown more than the average kids his age.

She had a tan shade and blonde hair much like his own, though it was curly. Her eyes, however, was what caught his attention. They were grey, like stormy clouds on a rainy day; also pretty, yet intimidating at the same time. Her eyes also held a bout of confidence and analyzation.

She looked like she was about to say something to him, but ran off instead, her hair flying behind her.

With the girl gone, Naruto shifted his attention to the portly man beside him.

"Mr. D… that's not your real name, is it?" He pointed out.

The man rolled his eyes. "How very observant." He mocked, which Naruto frowned at. Then, Mr. D stopped shuffling his cards and looked at the boy critically. "Young man, names are powerful things." He grabbed his cards and shuffled them once more. "You don't just go around using them for no reason."

Chiron seemed to notice the tension around them, and decided to change the subject.

"Do you know how to play?" The bearded man asked.

The blonde shrugged.

"You _do_ know how to play pinochle." Mr. D eyed him suspiciously.

"No, sir." Naruto said.

The portly man looked at him. "Hm, at least you have manners, unlike the many lot here." He said. "I would expect all _civilized_ young men to know the rules."

"I am sure he can learn." Chiron insisted. "Though I must say," He started. "It is unusual for someone as young as you to live alone in the woods." His smile dimmed.

"How do you know that?" Naruto asked, picking up some cards and shuffled them.

"Sam, the Satyr who helped you here, informed me of you helping him and young Henry during their way here." Chiron answered.

"He also mentioned that you alone killed a Cyclopes when they met you. Then an Ogre during your trek here." He said as he looked at the boy, his mouth hidden by the cards he held. "Is this all true? Not that I doubt your skill, but Sam is known to over exaggerate things from time to time."

"…Yes." Naruto nodded. "They were… a nuisance in our path."

Chiron chuckled. "Aren't they all?" He smiled at him as he laid down his cards. "Well, it is good to know that you have some form of protection against the creatures that may have attacked you during your way to camp."

Naruto looked down on his cards. "Chiron… who am I?" He asked quietly.

His mind was in a buzz, and the headache he had was pulsing harder than before, and he gritted his teeth as his hand tightened on his cards.

"Are you all right, Naruto?" Chiron asked him, his eyes glancing at him worryingly, looking at the boy when the cards he held started to protest from the increased pressure. D glanced at the blonde, but didn't say anything.

The whiskered youth blinked, noticing his crumpled cards and laid it down, uncaring if the contents of his pieces were shown to the two other players.

"I… I'm okay." Naruto murmured loud enough for the brown haired man to hear.

Chiron sighed, and gave him a smile. "Then that is relief." He said.

Mr. D turned to the blonde. "Are you going to bid, Nathaniel?"

"Bid?" Naruto asked, carefully taking his cards as he calmed his nerves, shooting the plump man with a confused look, ignoring the man's mistake on his name.

The camp director sighed and impatiently told him how to bid. And Naruto did as he was instructed.

"Did Sam inform you of the Greek gods?" Chiron asked.

"There was very little time, he only gave me a few information of certain gods and goddesses, and some stories." The whiskered boy explained.

"I see." Chiron nodded. "I am a bit surprised on how calm you are taking all of this." He noticed.

"The stories and the legends Sam has told me are in front of my eyes, he-" The blonde pointed at Mr. D. "Is a god, it is hard not to believe when the evidence is piling up in front of me." He stated.

"Hmph. At least this Brat gets it." The plump man belched as he shuffled his cards. "Bad enough that I'm confined to this job, don't want to look after a bunch of kids who don't believe." He grumbled.

He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table. Then, as if the sun bent momentarily, and woven air into the glass, filling up with red wine. Mr. D prepared to take a sip.

"Mr. D, your restrictions." Chiron didn't even look up as he warned the man, as if this occurrence was a normal thing.

The plump man stopped just as the cold goblet neared his mouth. "Oh dear me." He feigned surprise as he looked at the wine.

He craned his head up to the sky. "Old habits! Sorry!" He yelled.

Thunder boomed, and Naruto, too, glanced at the sky.

"That… was Zeus, right?" He asked, recalling the story of the particular god from Sam's accountings.

Strangely, he felt a surge of anger pulse through his body when he mentioned the sky god's name, but he ignored it in favor of Chiron answering him.

"Yes. The king of the gods himself." Chiron nodded as Mr. D waved his hand again, and the goblet disappeared, replaced by a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the can of soda and took a gulp, then went back to his card game.

Chiron chuckled, and winked at the blonde. "Mr. D offended his father a while back. Flirted with a wood nymph that was declared off-limits."

"Yes." Mr. D confirmed. "Father loves to punish me. First time, prohibition. Ghastly!" He reeled back as if he saw something disgusting. "Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time—well, she was really pretty, and I couldn't stay away the second time, he sent me here. Camp Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you."

He gave the pre-teen an irritated look. "Be a better influence!' He told me! 'Work with the youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha!" He let out a scoff. "Absolutely unfair."

The man sounded like a child, and pouted like one too.

It took a moment for the pieces to click, but Naruto realized who 'Mr. D' really was.

"You're the god of wine." Naruto said. "Dionysus, a son of Zeus." Again, the surge of anger returned, yet the boy subdued it from making his feelings noticeable.

Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do kids say these days?" He muttered to himself before he snapped his fingers.

"Well duh!" He said in an over-dramatic fashion. "What, did you think I was Aphrodite?"

Naruto looked down on his cards. "I see." He mumbled, before he returned to the game.

The game continued for a while, until the god beside him smirked, and puffed his chest out. "I believe I win." He stated.

A chuckle escaped Chiron's lips. "I'm afraid not, Mr. D." He set down his own stack of cards, showing a straight, tallied points, then said, "The game goes to me."

The god narrowed his eyes at Chiron, as if he was going to do something, before he sighed through his nose. And set the cards down as he grumbled.

"Fine." He said. "You win this time. Now, I believe you have to show this brat though this retched place?"

Chiron's face lit up in remembrance. "Ah, yes." He nodded, before he shifted, as if he was going to lift himself from his chair.

Then, he stood up.

His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs themselves had no attempt to move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt, stretching it. And kept rising, taller than any man Naruto had seen.

Chiron's new form emerged, the front was that of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there was no possible way it could have held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then the hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.

Naruto stared, dumbfounded at what he had seen.

A centaur, he had remembered Sam tell him, yet from what the Satyr had described him, centaur usually had held a rough and wild aura with them. Yet Chiron's was anything but, noble, majestic, and refined.

"What a relief." Chiron said. "I've been cooped up in there for so long. My fetlocks had fallen asleep." He chuckled. "Now; come, Naruto. Let us meet the other campers."

The blonde mutely nodded, and proceeded to follow Chiron.

* * *

They had passed the sandpit he had saw back in the infirmary. Where kids were hitting a ball over a net. It looked like it needed a small amount of force, and a good amount of balance with a mix endurance. It seemed like a good sport.

' _Volleyball'_ Naruto remembered what Sam had told him.

When they passed a few more kids and teens, some looked at him and gaped at the blonde whilst pointing at his direction. He heard whispers of something along the lines of 'That's him!' and 'It is him!'. Naruto shifted, a bit unnerved at the attention centered around him.

Chiron saw this and chuckled. "When you were being escorted to camp, some had seen the Ogre's decaying remains when they went to help Sam carry you to the Big House. Quite a feat among the camp for someone as new as you." He praised him.

They passed more campers, and Naruto even saw Henry amongst them, waving at him excitingly when the kid noticed the blonde walking with the centaur.

Naruto also noticed that most of the campers seemed to be older than him, bar Annabeth and Henry. The Satyrs, from what Sam had told him and Chiron added, were trotting around camp with orange shirt that were shared with the campers, but didn't wear any pants, exposing their shaggy behinds for the world to see.

The whiskered boy spotted Sam fraternizing with his fellow Satyrs, the goat-boy also saw him, just like Henry. And waved at him with as much enthusiasm as the kid, making Naruto gain a wary smile.

The blonde veered back to look at the farmhouse behind him. It was bigger than he initially thought. It was four stories tall, painted sky blue with a white trim. A brass eagle weather vane sat on top.

He blinked, when a shadow in the top window of the house, from within what he suspected was the attic of the building. Something had moved the curtain quickly. He tensed, ready for an attack, only to realize the house was a good distance away. Still, he kept his guard up, just in case.

"That window…" Naruto muttered, catching Chiron's attention. "Is something up there?" He pointed at the attic.

As soon as he saw where the blonde was pointing at, his smile disappeared. "Just the attic." He replied stiffly.

The pre-teen turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You're lying." He bluntly pointed out. "Is something living in there?"

"No." The centaur shook his head with finality. "Not a single living thing." Naruto heard Chiron whisper.

The blonde still doubted him. But nonetheless dropped it.

"Come along lad." Chiron said. His normally cheery tone now sounding a bit forced. "Lots to see!"

They went through the strawberry fields. Where Chiron told him that the camp grew crops that paid for export to the city next to the camp. He saw a few campers or 'demigods' tending to the crops, where a Satyr with a reed pipe played at.

Chiron showed him the woods next, and as they got closer Naruto had noticed how big it looked from the front. It seemed like it covered a quarter of the valley, far out-sizing his little forest where he had stayed in.

"The woods are stocked, if you care to try yourself." The centaur said. "But please go armed."

"Stocked with monsters or regular animals?" Naruto asked, his eyes peering into the depths of the forest, analyzing it for future reference, should he ever venture inside.

"Both." Chiron answered. "Capture The Flag is Friday tonight." He informed him. "Annabeth has told me that you had a weapon with you, yes?"

Naruto nodded. "My axe, she told me that it was kept in the Armory." He said, to which Chiron tilted his head in confirmation.

"Indeed. The children of Hephaestus were clamoring to take a look at your weapon when they removed it from your person." The half-man half-horse admitted. "You may retrieve it later when the tour is done. For now, shall we continue?"

The two proceeded into the Archery Range, where teens that held some sort of resemblance with each other practiced with their skills with the bow and arrow.

Strangely, Naruto caught a glimpse of what could only to be described as an apparition.

It took form of a boy who the blonde had never seen, but yet felt familiar with. His face was too obscure to identify, and all Naruto could really see was the leather tunic that the boy wore, coupled with the fur surrounding said tunic.

The boy stood at an unoccupied target, aiming at it as his hand held the bow tightly.

In a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

Naruto stared at the spot where the boy had been standing on, before he shook his head and continued on with Chiron, deeming the whole event as just an illusion due to his injuries.

The Ogre hit hard, so brain damage was an additional factor possibly.

The tour continued. And they visited the lake were boats, now named canoes rowed, then the stables, which Chiron seemed to be uncomfortable at, so they moved on from that quickly. Then they walked through the arena, where the centaur told him that they hold sword and spear fights, which Naruto took interest to.

"Sword and Spear fights?" The boy asked.

"Cabin challenges and all that." Chiron explained. "Not lethal. Usually." He muttered the last part, before he pointed at another location. "Oh, look the mess hall."

An outdoor pavilion, framed by white columns sat on a hill overlooking the sea. Dozens of tables made out of stone were inside. But no roofs or walls. Which the blonde questioned.

"Does it ever rain here?"

Chiron looked at him quizzically. "We still have to eat, don't we?"

The blonde grunted in response, dropping the subject entirely.

They finally moved on to the cabins that nestled by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. Each building looked unique and the blonde could differentiate which was which.

All had a large brass number above the door, set so the odd numbers were on the left and the even numbers were on the right. He didn't kid that the buildings were looked different from each other. Number nine had smokestacks on its roof, appearing like a factory. Number four had vines surrounding the walls and the roof was built in glass. Five looked like it went through a war zone, painted red with various barbed wires protecting outsiders against it, while a stuffed boar head laid above the door.

All cabins faced a common area. Where it was dotted with statues, flowerbeds, and many more.

In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined fire pit. The Hearth within it smoldered, even if it was a warm afternoon. Tending to the fires was a young girl, poking the coals with a stick.

Naruto frowned, and tensed when he felt the immense power that was contained within the girl, even more powerful than Mr. D, which set alarm bells off his head. But he didn't address it to his tour guide, who probably knew the girl and so the blonde deemed her not a threat.

For now.

The pair of cabins at the head of the field, which were Numbers One and Two, were identical in design and shape, big white marble boxes with columns on either side. Cabin One was the biggest and bulkiest of all, while the bronze door fit in the cabin glimmered. Cabin Two, on the other hand was graceful with slimmer columns scented with pomegranates and garlanded and flowers, while the images of peacocks decorated the walls.

"Zeus and Hera?" Naruto assumed.

Chiron nodded.

The blonde took a look once more.

"…Their cabins are empty."

"Several are. But true. No one ever stays in one or two." Chiron stated.

Naruto didn't ask, simply nodded along as the centaur motioned him to follow once more.

They passed Cabin Five, and Naruto noticed how unruly and rambunctious the small building really was. Inside the cabin were angry looking boys and girls that held some sort of resemblance with each other. All were either arm wrestling and arguing with each other while loud music played in the background.

The loudest of them all came in form of a girl that looked to be the same age as him. She, like any other camper wore the orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD shirt, but the sides were hidden by a camouflage jacket. She looked at him, and gave him a sneer, her long stringy brown hair trailing down her face.

Naruto glared back just as intensely.

He and Chiron kept walking in silence, until we reach another cabin labeled with the number eleven.

The curly blonde girl from before read a book in front of the cabin, seemingly waiting for them.

When they reached her, the girl looked over at Naruto critically, seizing him up.

The whiskered youth glanced at the book she was reading, but he couldn't make out most of the words. He knew it had something to do with the buildings, or more specifically, the designs if the pictures were to by.

"Annabeth." Chiron called. "I have a masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Naruto from here?"

"Yes sir." The girl nodded, and closed her book with a snap.

"Cabin Eleven." The centaur gestured towards the doorway to Naruto. "Make yourself home."

Out of all the cabins, Naruto realized that Eleven looked the most normal, yet the most rundown cabin out of all. Over the doorway, was a symbol of a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. Inside, was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number the bunks had.

The centaur didn't enter, for the door was too low for him. However, as he entered in view, the entire campers bowed respectfully towards the half-human/half-horse.

"Well then," Chiron started. "Good luck, Naruto. I'll see you at dinner."

With that said, he galloped away to the Archery Range.

Naruto stood in the doorway, looking around and stared back at the kids with cold eyes. They weren't bowing anymore, they just stared at him, sizing him up like Annabeth did.

"Well?" Said girl asked. "Go on." She prompted him.

Carefully, the whiskered blonde entered the cabin, his boots making creaks on the wooden floor. Some kids backed off, seeing how the blonde towered over them as he entered.

"Naruto, meet Cabin Eleven." Annabeth announced.

"Regular, or undetermined?" Somebody asked.

"Undetermined." Annabeth answered for her fellow blonde.

Everybody in the cabin groaned.

Someone else went forward to greet Naruto. He was older than the whiskered boy, and was taller and slightly more muscular. He had short-cropped sandy blonde hair and gave Naruto a friendly smile. He wore a dark orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with different colored beads, similar to Annabeth. A thick white scar ran from beneath his eye to his jaw.

"This is Luke," Annabeth said, somehow, Naruto noticed her voice change. He glanced at her and saw her cheeks tainted in a slight pink. The girl noticed him looking, and shook the expression off, shooting the whiskered boy a look, to which Naruto respond with a raised eyebrow.

"He's your counselor, for now." She told him.

"For now?"

Luke stepped in. "You're undetermined." He chipped in. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin Eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors." He explained. "Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron is the god of travelers."

Naruto looked at the tiny section they gave him. He had nothing to put there but his axe, so he just remembered where his spot his.

He slept in worse conditions.

The whiskered blonde looked at the camper's faces. Some were sullen and suspicious; others were grinning stupidly. But some looked as if they were waiting to steal from him.

He had practically nothing on him, but nevertheless, Naruto glared at them just in case. Satisfied when they flinched from his expression.

Good.

"How long will I be here?" Naruto asked.

"Good question." Luke said. "Until you are determined."

The youth nodded.

The other campers were surprised that he had no additional questions left.

"Well." Luke suddenly broke the silence. Before he stepped closer to Naruto.

He extended his hand.

"Allow me to officially welcome you to Cabin Eleven, Naruto." Luke smiled at him. "It may not be much, but you'll fit right in."

The boy looked at the sandy blonde's hand, before he took it and shook it.

"A pleasure." He responded.

Luke didn't respond, and Naruto noticed that he was wincing.

He let go of the older boy's hand.

Murmurs and mutterings were heard from the campers in Cabin Eleven started to echo around the small cottage, all pertaining to Naruto.

"That's some strength you got there." Luke laughed as he nursed his hand, though there was a hint of nervousness to it. "You'll be a monster in the arena." He praised.

"Come on." Annabeth interrupted. "I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it." Naruto argued. "There's no reason to see it again."

"Come on." The girl urged.

A grunt was the response.

She grabbed his wrist, and proceeded to drag him outside. As they were leaving, Naruto could hear the laughs of misfortune from his new cabin mates.

* * *

When they were a few feet away, Annabeth stopped and opened her mouth to speak.

Only for a new voice to cut in.

"Well! Lookie here! A newbie!" A husky voice yelled.

The two blondes looked over; the girl from the Cabin Five sauntered towards them menacingly. Three other girls were behind her, all wearing camouflage jackets in different shades, and all had the same sneers on their faces. To make them look more intimidating.

Naruto wasn't intimidated one bit.

"Clarisse." Annabeth sighed, irritation leaking in her voice. "Why don't you go bother someone else for a change?"

"Then why don't you stop being a Miss-Know-It-All?" The big girl mocked. "Just let me deal with the newbie and go on your merry way, Owl Pellets."

Annabeth shot the girl a scowl. Naruto glanced at her when the girl started muttering something in what he could guess as Greek under her breath. "You'll regret that by Friday." She said confidently.

"We'll pulverize you." Clarisse growled, her eye twitching. She switched her gaze to the silent boy next to Annabeth.

"Who're you?"

Naruto took this moment to seize the girl up. She wasn't as overly intimidating as she thought she'd be, at least, for him. He was standing at almost the same height as her. So her actions did nothing to scare him.

"Naruto." Annabeth started. "Meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."

A sudden jolt of anger surged through Naruto once the mention of the god surfaced, and the blonde clenched his fist silently, but his face showed neutrality

Clarisse noticed this, and sneered.

"What, you think Ares is boring or sumthin?"

"No." Naruto said. "It just explains the stench that surrounds you and your sisters." He growled lowly.

"Newbie once to start something huh?" Clarisse glared at him. "We have an initiation ceremony for newbies, Nato."

"Naruto."

"Whatever. I'll show you." She stepped closer.

"Clarisse-" Annabeth intervened.

"Stay out of this, Wise Girl." The war girl warned.

Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it.

The daughter of Ares didn't hesitate, and immediately lunged at Naruto and grabbed hold of his neck.

Something snapped within him.

Naruto grabbed the hand that held his neck, and twisted it painfully. Clarisse grunted, but she tried to hold back, only for her to cry out in pain when Naruto forced her grip from his neck to completely loosen, causing her hand to free the blonde. Her appendage now in the mercy of whiskered youth.

The boy gripped Clarisse's hand tightly, and he forced her down. The war girl struggled, but it was useless as she collapsed to the ground, on her knees, while Naruto held her painfully.

She was helpless.

With a roar, Naruto suddenly hefted her up, and threw her to a cinder-blocked building. Destroying a side of the small building. He approached it as Annabeth and the girls gasped.

Lines of toilets were on one side, while shower stalls lined the other side. It smelled unpleasant, reminding him of the girl he was currently fighting.

The girls who followed Clarisse were at a loss. Seeing their sister so easily beaten and thrown gave them insight. What could they possibly do?

As Naruto approached and stood before the downed Clarisse, the war girl's sisters snapped out of their funk and attacked him.

One of them went for a hit to the face, only for Naruto to catch the arm mid-way which sent the girl tumbling down.

She didn't have time to balance herself however when a knee was sent to her face, knocking her into one of the shower stalls, leaving the curtains fluttering as she landed in a daze.

The other girl charged at the blonde and sent a right hook towards his face. He intercepted the attack, and retaliated with a crushing blow to her stomach, leaving her gasping for air. Naruto continued, and sent a fist to her face, giving the girl a nasty bruise as he shoved her harshly with his shoulder.

A roar was heard from behind and the boy leaned sideways when a fist came sailing through the air to hit him.

He grabbed the offending arm and flipped her over down on the tile floor, causing cracks to appear as the whiskered blonde lifted her up. The war daughter growled and headbutted Naruto, sending him staggering back as she charged at him with a fist closed.

Just as she neared the blonde crouched and dived, wrapping his arms around her waist and drove her to the walls of the cinder-blocked building, then switched directions towards the toilets.

The toilets were not spared, as the blonde speared the war girl through one, and onto the floor, dropping her there, the girl groaning in pain.

"You'll pay for that dipshit!"

Clarisse screamed and charged at him, throwing a punch, which Naruto caught in record time, before throwing another, which he also caught.

The two struggled for dominance, and pushed one another to get the upperhand. Naruto glared at the war girl and twisted his arms, entangling the girl's arms with him. He used the stunned chance and gave her a mighty kick to the chest, knocking the wind out of Clarisse and making her untangle her arms in an effort to soothe the pain.

Naruto wasn't done, and gave the girl a harsh right hook to the face, then gave another punch to her stomach, and drove his elbow to her chin, alternating between punches and kicks as the girl staggered back.

With a final roar, Naruto ran full speed ahead and speared her through the wall of the bathroom.

The wall burst, and Annabeth gasped in surprise when Clarisse, beaten and bruised, lay down on a pile of debris, groaning in pain as Naruto stood over her, victorious.

"That was…" She trailed off.

A bunch of other campers gawked at the sight of the whole debacle as Clarisse's sisters, who were also bruised and ashamed, dragged her back to their Cabin as Clarisse shouted obscenities towards Naruto.

Naruto grunted, and rolled his shoulders as he nursed his neck.

That girl had a strong grip.

He turned around and saw Annabeth staring at him.

"What?" He asked. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking." She gave him a smirk. "That I want you on my team for Capture The Flag."

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